


Hours Seem Short

by Ameera



Series: Garashir Age Swap AU [3]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 20:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15104579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ameera/pseuds/Ameera
Summary: Jake and Ziyal's developing relationship in the world of What We May Be.Begins while Garak is in jail after the season 4 finale.





	Hours Seem Short

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So What We May Be is going on a little break of sorts while we post this side fic. This is to give us some more time for what we have with What We May Be, but also because we really do want to show Jake and Ziyal's relationship in this world.

It hadn’t taken long for Jake to realize that Dr. Bashir was attempting to set him up with Ziyal. Jake had known Julian for his entire life and knew his insecurities even better. In many ways, Jake had often been able to manipulate Julian into letting get away with a lot or into taking him along on a mission here and there just because he could read him so well. Still, it didn’t take an expert to see that Dr. Bashir was worried about how close Ziyal and Garak were becoming but why did Jake have to be the one to put the doctor’s mind at ease?

 

Yes, Jake and Ziyal were close in age and Jake had earned a bit of a reputation as a charmer ever since dating a Dabo girl at only the age of sixteen but this was different. For starters, Jake had most of his luck with Bajoran girls since they were already fascinated by him as the son of the Emissary. That could definitely get annoying fairly quickly but usually anyone he showed interest in came to know him as his own man. Ziyal was different. Yes, she was half-Bajoran but she hadn’t been raised formally within the Bajoran faith and she had seen enough harsh realities to not place so much trust in someone she’d just met. Despite that, she still had this great gentleness and almost innocent wonder while keeping a sharp wit and--DAMMIT!

 

Jake didn’t like having his strings pulled but he couldn’t help but develop feelings for Ziyal once the idea was put in his head. She was a woman of kind grace and, in some ways, even reminded Jake a bit of his mom. She didn’t particularly act like Jennifer Sisko and she certainly didn’t look like her but Jake found himself smiling fondly at Ziyal in the same way he remembered his father doing. He had a crush alright, and he had no idea what he was going to do about it.

 

“Ziyal!” Jake called happily as he jogged up to her from across the promenade. She gave a half-hearted smile that made Jake notice that she had just left the security office. “How is he?” He asked delicately.

 

“It’s always a bit hard to tell with him.” She sighed. Mr. Garak was in Constable Odo’s custody ever since he tried to use the Defiant’s weapons to destroy the Changelings’ homeworld. Jake had mixed feelings on the whole thing. While of course he wouldn’t have wanted Garak to succeed, Jake would be lying if he said it was for any reason other than to save the lives of the Starfleet officers on the planet like his father. The Dominion War was sending Jake’s dad away on more and more dangerous missions every day and Jake couldn’t help but be reminded of Wolf 359. Jake knew that simply destroying all the Changelings was wrong, but the fear of losing another parent was never far from his mind.

 

“Mr. Garak will be out soon enough.” Jake smiled reassuringly. “He’s probably been through a lot worse anyways, not that he’d ever tell me about it.” Ziyal laughed a bit at that.

 

“I just wish there was something I could do for him.” She said sadly. Jake wanted to comfort Ziyal but he wasn’t exactly close with her yet. He’d given her one cooking lesson that focused on basics like omelettes but other than that they didn’t spend that much one-on-one time together.

 

“Want me to help take your mind off it?” He offered. 

 

“I’m not sure yet.” She scoffed.

 

“Yet?”

 

“Well, as a Cardassian I should focus on myself and ignore Garak’s problems since he’s an enemy to my family.” She sighed. “Whereas the Bajoran philosophy is to not rest until you find a solution to whatever’s bothering you.” She frowned and shook her head. “I’m a bit incompatible with myself.”

 

“Or…” Jake began, “you could continue to learn to cook which is independent of the issue and for your own benefit, like a Cardassian would, but plan to make something for Mr. Garak like a Bajoran friend would.” Ziyal gave Jake a wry smile.

 

“I think that would be your suggestion regardless. It’s very human.” It was true. It’s not like Jake was ever going to suggest she take the Cardassian philosophy of shunning Garak.

 

“True, but not all humans are alike.” Jake bit his lip in thought. “Not all Cardassians and Bajorans are either for that matter.” Ziyal tilted her head much like Garak but raised an eye ridge questioningly much like Major Kira. “What does  _ Ziyal _ want to do? No matter what you choose you’re still a real Bajoran and Cardassian. No one can take that from you.” Ziyal blinked in surprise before a wide grin spread across her face.

 

“Do you know how to make hasperat?” She asked happily.

 

“Do  _ I  _ know how to make hasperat?” The answer was “no” but Jake decided he would fake it. How hard could it be? “Of course I do!”

 

“Well then, I think I’d like to make some for Garak.” She smiled. “Will you teach me?”

 

“I’m free now.” Jake said before he could think. What was he doing? Now he wouldn’t have time to look up a recipe and practice it at least once.

 

“I promised Nerys she could teach me racquetball in a few minutes.” Ziyal sighed. Yes! Thank the Universe for Racquetball! A sport that hardly held Jake’s interest was finally coming through for him!

 

“How about tomorrow?” He suggested. “We can make dinner together.”

 

“It’s a date.” She grinned with a nod before walking off. Jake knew the translator was probably just using the expression in the platonic sense but he still liked the sound of it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. We were sober when we wrote this, but not when it got posted. Apologies for any mistakes and stuff. We'll hopefully edit anything too nuts out later.


End file.
